In an interview with Yediot Acharonot, former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant suggested that the exit of Benny Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot from the government negatively impacted efforts to secure the return of the hostages.
During his conversation with journalist Nadav Eyal, Gallant emphasized that despite the defense establishment’s military pressure, there was a failure to turn that pressure into meaningful diplomatic progress, a shortcoming he attributed to leadership changes.
“We, the defense establishment, created the conditions for the return of the hostages. This is a goal that can only be achieved when you bring military pressure. We brought the military pressure, but in practice, we brought the ends of the rope closer together, but we didn’t tie the knot – because it’s a diplomatic knot,” Gallant explained.
He pointed out that diplomatic success had repeatedly eluded them, adding that following the dismantling of the War Cabinet in June, the Prime Minister was left with sole authority, without any input from other key security figures.
“Unfortunately, the departure of Gantz and Eisenkot was a serious matter. Because with their departure, we lost balance. And they also didn’t achieve what they entered the Cabinet for. But their decisions – those are their decisions,” Gallant remarked.
{Matzav.com}